General Excessive road noise / resonance / tyres?

[orgadamz]

I have a 56 plate grande punto multijet sporting with 43k miles on the clock.

Over the last few weeks i have noticed excessive road noise coming from the rear of the car. I had a mechanic friend have a listen to it and we both thought it sounded like the wheel bearings might be on their way out. It was not engine revving noise - as when cruising at around 60mph then dropping it out of gear and letting the car slow down by itself the noise would wind down as the speed dropped.

I subsequently booked it in a with a fiat main dealer, who after investigating the problem concluded that the wheel bearings were fine and that three of my tyres were "bulging" and were not perfectly round anymore- which would cause excessive vibration and noise in the car. I was in need of new tyres and did my research to get a much, much, better deal than the dealership was offering on four new continental brand tyres (as recommended by fiat).

After replacing all four tyres i believe that the problem is still there - at about 50mph there is quite a deep 'bass-ey' noise which really resonates through the car, it seems to subside when you get above 60mph. However below 50mph the noise is very noticeable until you get below 30mph. Perhaps this is my new tyres bedding in? or some thing more?

Has any one else had any similar problems? I am going to head back to the dealer and go out with them to illustrate the problem myself on some A roads- I believe that when they test drove the car initially they would have only driven in the locality of the dealership (in a city) where you would not realistically get above 25mph.

The car is still within the 3rd year warranty so i am trying to get this sorted before it runs out! Any help / further advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Adam

 

[colin79666]

perhaps you could arrange to demonstrate the problem to a mechanic?

that way you can drive the car somewhere you know it will happen and can point it out when it does

 

[orgadamz]

yes - this is what i am planning on doing. Just wanted to know if anyone else has had a similar problem with the noise.

 

[clawliger]

allows found the bridgestone potenzas to be a bight noisey tbh.


wouldnt of though it would be a wheel bearing tho.

 

[Ffoxy]

I noticed it too, normally have the CD player on but I didnt on Saturday and I could hear it, still have my Potenzas on the back too. Its not intrusive, just there now I have noticed it.

 

[manthatkidisscrewed]

hmmm...I've always found the Potenza's to be quite good. I've kept going back to them and only notice it occasionally depending on the type of road surface i'm driving on at the time.

Why did Fiat recommend some conti's to you btw? I thought all Sportings were shipped with Potenza's and the dealerships replaced those with Potenza's as well?

 

[orgadamz]

I also thought the potenza's were the recommended tyre for the car but the dealership thinks otherwise. Also when i went to the independent tyre company they recommended the continentals. Bit random.
I think i will go to the dealer and get their opinion still but it sounds like i am just going to have to accept this annoying noise! Perhaps it will subside as the tyre beds in over time.

 

[Ffoxy]

There is as big a debate on tyres as there is on oils guys.

I experiment with cheaper alternatives, I cant afford to have crap rubber on my car as I use it for business too, hence 42,000 miles in 2 years. Currently have Federals on the front of my 1.9 GPS and I have to say, despite the doom and gloom mongers on various forums, they grip really well in dry, wet and now I have found they are very good in snow too. They were only £45 a wheel fitted. I was one of only 2 drivers to get off my cul-de-sac in the last heavy snow fall, the other guy was in a 4 wheel drive Audi.
Car manufacturers strike deals with tyre manufacturers, they wont pay anywhere near for the originals as you would for replacements, thats why they are recomended by the car manufacturers. They then depend on volume sales when replacement time comes, there is a wide choice of tyres these days, you dont have to spend a fortune.

 

[clawliger]

T1 R's ftw.

 

[1.8Stilo]

£45 now thats a bargain foxy

Ive never been too impressed with the potenza's on the GPS, seem to have worn quite well mind - although noisy and when they loose a little pressure as i run the car on "full" load pressures as quoted in the hand book - on a "medium" load psi they make the suspension feel much more crashy! Ive got to live with them for few more years though as my AGP wheels have the same rubber on...


and without going off topic too much, it sort does sound like wheel bearing although! Recently when wheel bearing went on our stilo it can be misleading sometime as to were the sound is coming from! Have you had the wheels off to have a close up listen?

 

[Ffoxy]

£45 now thats a bargain foxy

Ive never been too impressed with the potenza's on the GPS, seem to have worn quite well mind - although noisy and when they loose a little pressure as i run the car on "full" load pressures as quoted in the hand book - on a "medium" load psi they make the suspension feel much more crashy! Ive got to live with them for few more years though as my AGP wheels have the same rubber on...

and without going off topic too much, it sort does sound like wheel bearing although! Recently when wheel bearing went on our stilo it can be misleading sometime as to were the sound is coming from! Have you had the wheels off to have a close up listen?

I noticed its worse when the weather is particularly cold mate. Not doing it today, but then its 5 degrees warmer here now than last Saturday. My Potenzas on the back are still good for another 6 - 8,000 miles I reckon, no prob with the wear rate on them, but TBH the rears are the only ones that break away when its really icy. I could have put the new ones on the rear etc but I wanted the traction for winter! I'll def go for these Federals again when the time comes!

 

[manthatkidisscrewed]

glad you've found some good alternatives Ffoxy!

And it's funny you should say that because the only 2 people that left our road in the recent snowfall have been me and my dad for work! I'm obviously in the GP and my dad's got a 4wd Audi so it's quite impressive what the GP can do really!!

The only bad thing I have to say about the Potenza's is that in my experience they are absolutely awful when they are cold. I can turn out of my drive in the dry and I will spin the wheels almost every time regardless of my throttle use...Once they've warmed up though they're fine

 

[auto_blanco]

I have to agree with Ffoxy, ive got Federals on the front after good experiences with them on another car and they are really really good. I also find the ride much better although maybe its all in my head lol! Bargains too, proven on Australian tarmac rallies, nice.

 

[Ffoxy]

glad you've found some good alternatives Ffoxy!

And it's funny you should say that because the only 2 people that left our road in the recent snowfall have been me and my dad for work! I'm obviously in the GP and my dad's got a 4wd Audi so it's quite impressive what the GP can do really!!

The only bad thing I have to say about the Potenza's is that in my experience they are absolutely awful when they are cold. I can turn out of my drive in the dry and I will spin the wheels almost every time regardless of my throttle use...Once they've warmed up though they're fine

I shouldnt say this but touching wood...

The only punctures I have ever had in this car are in the Potenzas!

I find it really helps on fresh snow to go up hills (where you can) backwards at tickover... easier on a diesel I know, but the weight transfers on to the driven wheels and the diesel torque just thumps its way up hills as if by magic!

 

[Ffoxy]

I have to agree with Ffoxy, ive got Federals on the front after good experiences with them on another car and they are really really good. I also find the ride much better although maybe its all in my head lol! Bargains too, proven on Australian tarmac rallies, nice.

Glad someone else has found these little gems too. So much tyre snobbery about, from "wouldnt be seen dead with anything but *expensive* tyres" to the obvious "the only contact you have with the road is through the tyres" etc. The latter is obvious but seriously.... I do a lot of miles and I can think of nothing negative about Federals. Wear rate will be a factor no doubt but at £45 a time I can afford for them to do less than 66% of a Premium brand. So far they look like they are doing very well, 5,000 miles and counting!

I dont want them to get too popular or the price will sky-rocket!

 

[manthatkidisscrewed]

I shouldnt say this but touching wood...

The only punctures I have ever had in this car are in the Potenzas!

I find it really helps on fresh snow to go up hills (where you can) backwards at tickover... easier on a diesel I know, but the weight transfers on to the driven wheels and the diesel torque just thumps its way up hills as if by magic!

funny you should say that...I went through a spout of the dealership finding nails in my tyres...after a 'quiet word' and buying tyres from elsewhere it seems to have stopped now

 

[barrykibbler]

I have a 56 plate grande punto multijet sporting with 43k miles on the clock.

Over the last few weeks i have noticed excessive road noise coming from the rear of the car. I had a mechanic friend have a listen to it and we both thought it sounded like the wheel bearings might be on their way out. It was not engine revving noise - as when cruising at around 60mph then dropping it out of gear and letting the car slow down by itself the noise would wind down as the speed dropped.

I subsequently booked it in a with a fiat main dealer, who after investigating the problem concluded that the wheel bearings were fine and that three of my tyres were "bulging" and were not perfectly round anymore- which would cause excessive vibration and noise in the car. I was in need of new tyres and did my research to get a much, much, better deal than the dealership was offering on four new continental brand tyres (as recommended by fiat).

After replacing all four tyres i believe that the problem is still there - at about 50mph there is quite a deep 'bass-ey' noise which really resonates through the car, it seems to subside when you get above 60mph. However below 50mph the noise is very noticeable until you get below 30mph. Perhaps this is my new tyres bedding in? or some thing more?

Has any one else had any similar problems? I am going to head back to the dealer and go out with them to illustrate the problem myself on some A roads- I believe that when they test drove the car initially they would have only driven in the locality of the dealership (in a city) where you would not realistically get above 25mph.

The car is still within the 3rd year warranty so i am trying to get this sorted before it runs out! Any help / further advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Adam

Mate it's your rear wheel bearings! My GP 1.9 Sporting was making a racket last week, exactly the same noise as you're describing. I took it to my local dealer and they diagnosed a rear offside wheel bearing failure and I had it fixed and back on the road on 35mins! Now it runs sweet as and the noise has totally dissappeared. Not sure what your Dealer is going on about, I would recommend going to a different Dealer and getting a second opinion, thats what I did and now the car us running perfectly.

Hope this helps you out.

Matt

 

[Ffoxy]

Mate it's your rear wheel bearings! My GP 1.9 Sporting was making a racket last week, exactly the same noise as you're describing. I took it to my local dealer and they diagnosed a rear offside wheel bearing failure and I had it fixed and back on the road on 35mins! Now it runs sweet as and the noise has totally dissappeared. Not sure what your Dealer is going on about, I would recommend going to a different Dealer and getting a second opinion, thats what I did and now the car us running perfectly.

Hope this helps you out.

Matt

35mins? Wow I am impressed, was that under Warranty? I think I'll pop mine in, I got the grumbles from the rear almost constantly now. Anyone any idea what the cost is out of warranty?

 

[orgadamz]

Took it back again yesterday and they diagnosed that it was indeed the rear wheel bearings (as i originally thought) - the offside one was particularly bad. The mechanic from the dealership advised that i did not drive the car away from the garage. They sorted me a courtesy car out there and then and i was on my way - picked it up at 5pm the same day. Noise is now totally gone after replacement of both rear wheel bearings. This was all done under the third year warranty. I am now enjoying quiet driving once more!
Thanks for all your comments.
Adam

 

[Ffoxy]

Good old TJVickers at Telford, popped down at lunchtime and my car will be fixed under 3rd year warranty. They just need to order the part / parts... so now I have to go back so they can confirm which wheel or if both... silly me I thought they might stock them and thats why they didnt want me to demonstrate the noise there and then but hey....

Update :- took the DET out for a spin, agreed there is a bearing going but which one....?

So up on the ramps it went, what a nice DET (John at TJVickers Telford) came back and condemned the passenger side rear wheelbearing. Now I would have gambled and lost my house on that... I would have said it was the drivers side! Wheelbearings can be difficult to accuratley diagnose apparently (side wise) but they spun each wheel up to 40mph + above on the ramp.

Spot on TJV roll on Monday (and I hope he's right lol)!